15 Chapter Book Mysteries
For kids who have graduated past the easy reader section of the library and are looking for stories with a little more weight to them, look no further than this fun list of 15 chapter book mysteries. These books are perfect stepping stones for newly minted chapter book readers hovering between 80-120 pages, many of which are still heavily illustrated and all are a lot of fun!
Kids can try to solve the mystery right along with the characters in these stories, whether it’s classics like Encyclopedia Jones or new characters like P. I. Butterfly! Whether you figure out whodunnit or not, these are the perfect books to add to this year’s summer reading list. And, don’t forget that even when kids can read on their own, it’s still really important to spend time reading aloud together, so make a habit of fitting in some reading time every day!
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15 Chapter Book Mysteries
A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author by Ron Roy, illustrated by John Steven Gurney
A is for Author . . . A famous writer is coming to Green Lawn! Dink rushes to the bookstore to meet his favorite author, Wallis Wallace, and get all his books signed. But the author never shows up! Where is Wallis Wallace? It’s up to Dink and his friends Josh and Ruth Rose to track him down.
Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds by David A. Adler
Can Cam help catch the diamond thief? Cam and her friend Eric are sitting at the mall when the jewelry store is robbed. Cam sees the thief, but the police arrest the wrong person. Now it’s up to Cam to catch the real criminal!
The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Meet the Chicken Squad: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie. These chicks are not your typical barnyard puffs of fluff, and they are not about to spend their days pecking chicken feed and chasing bugs. No sir, they’re too busy solving mysteries and fighting crime.
So when Squirrel comes barreling into the chicken coop, the chicks know they’re about to get a case. But with his poor knowledge of shapes (“Big” is not a shape, Squirrel!) and utter fear of whatever it is that’s out there, the panicky Squirrel is NO HELP. Good thing these chicks are professionals.
But even professionals get worried. Especially once they see that round, shiny, green, BIG thing in the yard. What if it’s a UFO full of aliens who want chickens as pets, or worse, dinner? It’s up to the Chicken Squad to crack a case that just might be out of this world.
Dino Detective and Awesome Possum Private Eyes: The Case of the Nibbled Pizza by Tadgh Bentley
When Grandma Thunderclaps’s pizza is found with all the pepperoni missing, who’s to blame? Dad’s been at work, Grandma’s a strict vegetarian, and everyone knows Plant couldn’t be the culprit… So with a thirst for the truth, and a hunger for justice (and pizza), our heroes are on the case!
Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
Leroy Brown, aka Encyclopedia Brown, is Idaville neighborhood’s ten-year-old star detective. With an uncanny knack for trivia, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve his most baffling crimes. And with ten confounding mysteries in each book, not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but the reader is given all the clues as well. Interactive and chock full of interesting bits of information—it’s classic Encyclopedia Brown!
The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
Have you ever said to yourself, Wouldn’t it be nice to be a detective?
This is the story of an African girl who says just that. Her name is Precious.
When a piece of cake goes missing from her classroom, a traditionally built young boy is tagged as the culprit. Precious, however, is not convinced. She sets out to find the real thief. Along the way she learns that your first guess isn’t always right. She also learns how to be a detective.
Hilde Cracks the Case: Hero Dog by Hilde Lysiak and Matthew Lysiak, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Nine-year-old crime reporter Hilde Lysiak is starring in her very own early chapter book series — inspired by news stories Hilde wrote in real life! In this first book, there’s been a break-in on Orange Street! Cupcakes have been stolen, and soon a pie goes missing, too. Hilde and her sister/photographer, Izzy, must interview witnesses and follow the clues. Can Hilde crack the case in time to post her news story online?
Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger, illustrated by Cece Bell
Meet Inspector Flytrap! He’s a Venus flytrap and world-class solver of BIG DEAL mysteries.
Meet Nina the Goat! She’s a goat and Inspector Flytrap’s trusty assistant—except when she eats the clues!
Together, they’re a great mystery-solving duo! Follow along as they decode a secret message, investigate a stinky shoe, and figure out other big and tasty mysteries.
InvestiGators by John Patrick Green
With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks―or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?
P.I. Butterfly: Gone Guppy by Karen Kilpatrick, illustrated by Germán Blanco
It’s Saturday, the best morning of the week when a scream interrupts the perfect day for learning about butterflies. Mili the guppy is… missing! But have no fear, P.I. Butterfly is on the case. She’ll stop at nothing to solve the mystery. P.I. Butterfly preserves the scene, records every clue, and interviews suspicious suspects, but she ends up on a trail to nowhere fast. As she drowns her sorrows in a glass of milk, a fishy finding leads to a new suspect and… a cat-felt confession.
Did Mili survive her fish-bowl fiasco, or is she gone for good? P.I.B. won’t stop until she flutters to the truth, no matter where it leads.
Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O’Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
In this first in a series of delightful chapter books, Fancy Nancy takes on the role of detective. When one of Nancy’s classmate’s most treasured possessions disappear from school, it’s up to detective Nancy to solve the mystery and save the day.
With the help of her friend Bree, she follows the clues to an unexpected source. Fans of Nancy Drew’s Clue Crew will be among the readers happy to see a new Nancy join the ranks of super sleuths!
Secret Spy Society: Case of the Missing Cheetah by Veronica Mang
It’s a dark and stormy night when three sleuthing little girls get pulled into a web of mystery. They have mistakenly uncovered a secret society of some of the most famous female spies in history. A glamorous spy named Josephine Baker enlists the girls to find out who has kidnapped Chiquita, her precious pet cheetah. Do the girls have what it takes to become spies themselves?
Simon and Chester Super Detectives! by Cale Atkinson
Welcome to the world of Simon and Chester, ghost and boy duo extraordinaire.
They like to kick butt and take names.
They don’t like chores.
And they are best friends.
And they are about to solve the MYSTERY OF A LIFETIME.
(Oh, and eat some snacks probably.)
The Underdogs Catch a Cat Burglar by Kate Temple and Jol Temple, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon
Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it’s all thanks to a mysterious cat burglar! They’ve stolen everything from handbags to ham sandwiches, and nobody has been able to catch them. Now The Underdog Detective Agency is on the case . . . but as their name might suggest, they aren’t exactly the best sleuths in town.
Barkley and the other dogs at the agency have been in a bit of a slump, but this latest case could turn it all around. So to catch this menacing cat burglar, they may have to do the unthinkable and hire their first-ever cat detective. Enter Fang, a street-smart, one-eyed feline and the newest member of the team.
Being a cat in a dog’s world isn’t easy, but Fang is determined to prove she’s got what it takes. Will Fang and Barkley be able to work together to solve the case and help make Underdogs the top dogs once again? You’ll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!
Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery by Raj Haldar, illustrated by Neha Rawat
It’s a Super Saturday sleepover! That means best friends Eddie and Molly-Jean (who prefers to be called MJ) are going to play outside, create obstacle courses for MJ’s newts, and watch their favorite movies―and then they’ll travel to India to solve a mystery and help save a school―all before bedtime!
